Australia

COVID-19 entry restrictions

All Covid-19 related restrictions have been lifted.

Entry and visa requirements

Entry requirements

EU citizens with the following documents may travel to Australia:

Passport: yes
Temporary passport: yes
German "Kinderreisepass" for children: yes

Notes/minimum validity period:
The travel documents must be valid for the entire period of your intended stay.

Australia has strict quarantine rules (thorough checks on entry), and you should carefully comply with the regulations. You have to declare all food, plant and animal products on your Incoming Passenger Card. A quarantine officer at the red check-in counter in the airport will examine the items and may confiscate them. If you do not declare items that are subject to quarantine regulations, a severe penalty might be imposed.

Visas

EU citizens need an ETA or, depending on the purpose and duration of their stay, a visa. You have to request these documents before departure.

Electronic Travel Authority ETA

You can apply for the Electronic Travel Authority ETA online and it will grant you the same entry rights as an eVisitor visa. It costs 20 AU$.

Types of visas

eVisitor

Business travellers and tourists from Germany and other EU member states can apply for a visitor visa online. The visa is valid for stays lasting up to three months during a 12-month period. You will be notified by email once your eVisitor visa has been issued. The eVisitor visa is stored electronically at border crossings and other offices.

Studying and training visas

Working and skilled visas

Family and partner visas

Money and credit cards

The official currency is the Australian dollar (AU$). Nearly everywhere, it is possible to get money from cash machines and make payments using credit cards.

Healthcare

Australian healthcare is generally very good.
You must declare medicines brought from Germany on arrival.
A prescription from the attending physician must be available in English.
You can bring 3 months' supply of medicine in your baggage and in its original packaging.
For more information see https://www.odc.gov.au/travellers.
As there is no social security agreement between Germany and Australia. German health insurance does not cover medical costs in Australia. This is why we strongly recommend that you take out health insurance for stays abroad.

Phone and internet service

Buy calling cards in Australia

Using a calling card is usually the cheapest way to make calls.
Calling cards are prepaid cards that are available at nearly every convenience store, major supermarkets and online. https://www.phonecardpoint.com.au/
There are two types of calling cards:

Cards that first charge a small connection fee and then offer a very cheap flat rate (e.g. Oz Call)
Cards that charge higher flat rates, but no connection fee (e.g. Say G'Day). You simply dial the toll-free-number (e.g. 1-800) and will be charged per minute for your call. These cheap rates usually are only available in larger cities and popular tourist destinations.

Buying prepaid phone cards in advance

You can also buy a prepaid phone cards for calls and internet connection before departure:

australien-sim-karte/citypack/ina

handy-ausland/australien

Make sure that the Australian SIM card is a real prepaid card without a minimum term or minimum turnover, as in that case additional costs might be incurred. You also should make sure that your smartphone has no SIM lock preventing Australian prepaid cards from working.

Transportation and driving licences

Infrastructure/traffic

There is a dense domestic flight network, rail and bus connections.

Australians drive on the left side of the street.

Depending on the state, a speed limit of 50-60 km/h within towns and 100-110 km/h outside applies. Heavy fines apply in case of violations.

Driving licence

Generally, you're allowed to drive in Australia with an overseas drivers license if you're a temporary visitor. If your license isn't written in English, you'll need to carry a formal English translation or an international driving licence. Formal licence translations need to be done by an approved translator. They can also come from a consulate office in Australia.